Khamutima Tumwebaze – Founder & Executive Director

How we started

In 2015, Uganda was ranked as the most entrepreneurial country in the world by the Global Entrepreneurial Monitor (GEM), with about twice as many entrepreneurs as the country that came second.

Up to 95% of businesses started by entrepreneurs fail within their first year, largely due to factors such as a lack of business management skills, inadequate capital, and limited access to sustainable markets and related services. Many of these failed businesses are launched by young entrepreneurs. In Uganda, where youth make up 70% of the population and agriculture is vital to the economy, it’s notable that 55% are under 18 and 70% are under 30. Despite this, only 80% are involved in agriculture. Recognizing this gap, there was a need to empower young people to engage in agriculture.

With the intent to provide a feasible solution to this, in 2016, Young Farmers Champions Network (YOFCHAN) was launched by a group of young people who worked hard to make it in agribusiness after starting with neither the necessary business skills nor capital, amidst the same unreliable markets.

YOFCHAN is currently a network of young farmers champions working together as ambassadors and role models to shape the agriculture sector, inspire and attract fellow youth to engage in farming as a business. It promotes positive images and ‘cool’ perceptions of farming to young people who do not usually consider a career path in agriculture by providing them with real-life examples. It seeks to develop independent, reflective, and confident thinkers who can share their story and their personal experiences while stamping their ideological prints on the agricultural sector.